When detention ruins his plan to take Ginny to Paris via the Room of Requirement, Draco brings Paris to Ginny, with the help of a house-elf named Slinky.
*A 'missing moment' story inspired by A Tale of Two Matchmakers.*
Categories: Draco/Ginny Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes
Word count: 1547 Read: 3141
Published: 02/24/07 Updated: 02/24/07
1. Let's Face the Music and Dance by Kerichi
Let's Face the Music and Dance
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Black robes rippling with the force of his angry strides, Draco Malfoy ignored the hopeful glances silly girls threw his way while he swept through the corridors toward the dungeons. He glared a warning to anyone who tried to greet him.
His plans were ruined. In Potions, Potty and Weasel had to keep mentioning his father. He retaliated by using the Flipendo charm to overturn their cauldrons. Snape, irritated by having to clean the foul slime that had seeped across the stone floor, had given Draco detention.
Frustrated and seething over the injustice, Draco tugged open his robe and yanked down his tie. After raking agitated fingers through his hair, he turned on his heel to face the hulking youths who had doggedly followed his every step. “Crabbe, Goyle, do you have detention?”
The two traded glances before Crabbe ventured, “Uh…No?”
“No, you don't. So stop following me and go do something useful.”
Again, his henchmen’s gazes flickered sideways in an unspoken question neither could answer.
Forehead deeply creased, Goyle asked, “What’s useful?”
Draco closed his eyes and counted to ten”twice. “Helpful, practical, of use...you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”
Crabbe said, "I know. It just took awhile to think of it. Would shining your shoes be useful?”
“I expect it would.”
“I could make sure your quills are sharpened and your ink bottles full,” said Goyle.
“All right. Grab yourselves a butterbeer from my private stock once you’re done.” Draco rolled his eyes when the pair continued to stand and smile goofily at the prospect of a reward for their efforts. "Go. Goodbye.”
Crabbe nodded. “Goodbye boss”I mean Malfoy.”
Draco's eyes narrowed. Did the boys think they were 'muscle' or something? If they bought matching pin-striped suits and sunglasses, he was hexing them.
Inside the dungeon classroom, Professor Snape was sitting at his desk, pushing a row of pencils into alignment with the tip of a finger. Without looking up from the absorbing task, the man said, “You’re late, Mr. Malfoy. If your partner was not even less punctual, I would have to add another night of detention.”
Before he could ask the name of the unfortunate soul who would share his grim fate, a voice sounded from the doorway. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here earlier, professor. I was tutoring another student and lost track of time.”
“What student, on which subject?”
“Neville Longbottom, sir, on Potions.”
Snape looked down his long nose at the redheaded girl. “At least your endeavours here will be productive, Miss Weasley.” He gestured to the storeroom entrance on the wall behind him. “I want a list of all the stores that need replacement or augmentation.” In a voice that implied they had better do the exact opposite, the teacher said, “If I am needed, find me in Professor Lorelei’s office. I will be grading papers.”
When Snape had swooped out of the classroom, Draco asked, “How?”
Ginny's pretty face lit up with mischief. “I added salamander bile instead of salamander wool.”
He reached out and traced the sprinkle of cinnamon colored freckles from one delicate cheek to the other. “Thereby making anything you dipped into your solution burst into flames instead of becoming inflammable and earning detention. I’m impressed.”
Eyes sparkling, she slipped her arms around his waist. “Some of your Slytherin cunning must’ve rubbed off on me.”
His mouth lowered to the one lifting temptingly toward his. Teasingly, he barely touched his lips to hers, brushing softly, back and forth. “Like this?”
Ginny threw her arms around her boyfriend's neck, kissing him until her bones started to melt and her knees began to buckle. Draco sat on a nearby stool and drew her onto his lap. After allowing her fingers to sink into that gorgeous silky hair while gliding her tongue against his, she pulled back for a moment to smirk. “Like that”
His chuckle was worth all the effort she had gone through to be in his arms. They had planned on meeting in the Room of Requirement after dinner. Draco had promised an evening of dancing in a club in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower and cherry blossoms perfuming the spring air. She had looked forward to it all day. Every time she’d see him in the corridors, their eyes would meet and an exhilarating awareness would arc between them. Ginny had wanted to dance with him so much. Since it hadn’t worked out, she’d make do with spending time together, even if it was in detention.
Several kisses later, the pair prudently put a worktable between them and the temptation to spend the whole time snogging. Ginny smilingly said one of the sayings she had heard throughout childhood, “Soonest begun’s soonest done”
A white-blond eyebrow winged upwards.
She giggled and walked into the storeroom. In the cluttered space, she wondered how in Merlin’s name they were going to determine everything that needed re-stocking. Some of the jars held items that she couldn’t even name, much less tell if there was an appropriate amount contained within.
Masculine arms wrapped around her. Draco rested his chin on her shoulder. “What’re you doing, Red?”
She relaxed against him. “Wondering if we’ve just been given a labour of Hercules.”
His huff of amusement beside her susceptible ear caused happy shivers. He drawled, “I bet old Herc’ had an ace up his sleeve too.” Without turning, he directed, “Slinky, come in here.”
“Young master is ready now?” The house-elf’s tennis ball shaped eyes rapidly scanned the shelves while an enchanted quill scratched a list onto a parchment floating in mid-air nearby. After a few minutes, the list was compiled”in a perfect copy of Draco’s bold handwriting.
Ginny smiled when the elf accepted the boy’s thanks with a bow and a reverent, “No, young sir, thank you, for being so…Slytherin.”
After Slinky had returned via the classroom fireplace to the kitchens, she asked, “Should we stay here or…?”
Draco, standing beside the door he’d just cracked open, placed a finger to his lips. She tiptoed over and pressed against his side, trying to hear.
Professor Lorelei said, “Should you really leave them unsupervised while we pop up to the seventh floor?”
“I assure you the task assigned will not be completed for another couple of hours, at the earliest, and that no Slytherin would come looking for another one should they finish beforehand.”
Ginny's eyes widened. Lorelei and Snape were sneaking off to the Room of Requirement! She didn’t know whether to be amused or annoyed. She and Draco had plans!
When the other couple passed by the door, she almost gasped to hear Snape say, “I suppose I’ll have to wear that bloody mask again to enact another Phantom of the Opera fantasy.”
As the professors' voices faded away, Draco said, "Well, that does put a damper on my plans, not to mention the mood, but where there’s a will.” He strode over to the fireplace. “Slinky!”
The house-elf appeared instantly. “You called, young master?”
Draco leaned down to whisper his instructions. Ginny watched his face, marvelling at how unguarded he was around her, allowing every emotion from irritation to elation to play across his features. She wondered what he had in mind and looked forward to finding out.
He led her to dungeon seven. She stood in the doorway of the previously empty classroom and sighed. Slinky had used illusion charms to project a view of Paris at night. The city lights twinkled ‘below’ while the Eiffel Tower was lit up like something from a faery tale. On a table in the centre of the room, enchanted candles floating overhead softly illumined a table for two.
Ginny looked down at her second-best school robes. “I think I’m under-dressed.”
"No, you aren't." He grinned. "Your beauty shines so bright, we don't need candles.” He took her hand in his and brought them into tango position.
Slinky, who had just entered the room, heard the words. He said eagerly, “If you is wishing it so, then I is making it so.”
The candles blew out.
Wreathed in darkest shadow, Draco's white-blond hair was barely visible in the dim light reflected from the Parisian cityscape around them. He chuckled. "Not afraid of the dark, are you?"
"I know you'll protect me." Ginny knew her smile showed in her voice. “I think it’s romantic, being held in your arms, dancing in the dark.”
The elf must have spun an Orpheus Orb, because music washed into the darkened room. It was the song that played on New Year's Eve, when they told each other 'I love you' for the first time.
Draco pulled her flush against him, leading her in the rock-step, rock-step turn of a tango. They swayed sensuously, feet barely leaving the floor. Ginny listened to the words of the song, thinking they were true, now more than ever.
There may be trouble ahead,
But while there's music and moonlight and love and romance,
Let's face the music and dance.